Top Video Interview Techniques to Reveal the Best Candidate

Posted on 27/03/2018

According to the Wall Street Journal, more and more employers are choosing to use video interviews to recruit new employees.

With greater convenience and cost-efficiency compared to face-to-face interviews, the reasons why companies are making use of the medium is clear.

However, it's less clear whether employers are adopting the latest video interview techniques to uncover the best candidates.

That's why we've put together this helpful guide on video interview techniques so that you can make sure you secure the best person for the position. Keep reading to find out more!

1. Start With an Ice-Breaker

There's no need to start the video interview with a challenging question. You should begin by making the interviewee feel at ease. You can achieve this by asking a question that acts as an ice-breaker.

The best ice-breaker questions are personal ones. In fact, you don't even have to phrase them as questions, but rather as requests.

For instance, pick something out on their resume, such as, "Tell me about your volunteer experience." Or, you can try, "Which city are you from originally?"

This not only allows both the interviewer and interviewee to relax into the conversation. But you can also make sure that both parties can be clearly and loudly heard by each other. Also, you never know when you'll get an insightful and engaging answer.

2. Be Personable, Not Combative

Many people get video interview techniques from what they see on TV, but these tactics are often ineffective.

The combative approach might be a great way to hammer a politician into a corner or tempt a celebrity into revealing gossip. However, these aren't the best video interview techniques for hiring a new employee.

By adopting a personable approach to interviewing, you're likely to find out much more about the person.

By building a rapport with the interviewee, you'll find the conversation goes in directions that uncover whether they'll make a fine employee or not.

3. Ask Open Questions

As the interviewer, you're expected to be in control of the questions and structure of the interview. This is why many interviewers adopt video interview techniques that only reveal boring and simple answers from the interviewee.

The answers to questions, such as "What were your grades in high school," or "What was your most recent employment," can be revealed by glancing at the candidate's resume.

But you'll discover much more about the candidate by asking open questions. These types of questions include asking where they see themselves in five years, or what their vision for the company is.

By asking open questions, you risk losing control of the conversation. But this also gives the interviewee the chance to show they can take the initiative and grab the bull by the horns, so to speak.

This is sure to uncover much more interesting things about the candidate than obvious questions.

4. Always Listen Carefully

Some interviewers favor video interviews because it means they can do other things during the conversation. It saves time because they can do some preparation (that they should have done in advance) while the interview is on-going.

However, the most important of all video interview techniques is to listen carefully to what the other person is saying. How can you judge whether the candidate is worth hiring unless you listen to every word they say.

5. Yes, There Are Stupid Questions

The famous saying, "there are no stupid questions," may be true in some cases. But when you're asking questions as the interviewer, there are definitely stupid questions.

Primarily, stupid questions are questions that have already been answered. This also includes anything that the candidate has already included on their resume.

Not only does this waste the candidate's time, but it also shows that you weren't listening to the first time they said it.

6. Ask Follow-up Questions

Sometimes when you ask a question about a particular work experience, you won't find out what you want to know. After all, the purpose of interview question isn't just to hear the story.

Therefore, this involves engagement from the interviewer in order to understand the thought process of the candidate. You want to understand how a solution was reached and what action they took.

Because of this, you have to be prepared to ask follow-up questions to further delve into their character.

7. Promote Yourself and Your Company

During the interview process, it's easy to forget that the candidate you're interviewing isn't the only one applying for the job. But the candidate has to make a decision about whether the company is the right choice for them.

Therefore, you need to make sure you promote the company and the job offer. If you're interviewing a strong candidate, it's likely they'll have other options too.

While you don't want to look desperate, it's important you promote the benefits of employment at the company. This might involve information about training and development opportunities, salary and bonuses, and other exciting aspects of the position such as travel.

The Top Video Interview Techniques

Conducting an effective interview is all about revealing the best candidate for the job. However, there are many common mistakes that interviewers make that keep them from getting the information they need.

That's why we've put together this guide so that you can apply the top video interview techniques to get the finest talent for your company.

We match the best talent in the Supply Chain and Operations Industry with exciting opportunities from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. Whether you're an employer in the industry or a job seeker - if you want to find out more, get in touch with us today!